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Becoming a more creative quilter is easier than you think! "Creativity is the
ability to cause something to come into being." We all possess this ability:
it is not rationed out to just certain people. We are always making creative
decisions in our lives, from deciding what type of clothing to wear, to major
decisions about decorating an entire home.
To make our own creative choices in quiltmaking, we simply
need a bit of information and the desire to make a quilt that is unlike anyone
else's. Once we get our creative juices started, they will keep on flowing!
It's easy to become a "recipe quilter," following patterns
and directions that tell us exactly how much fabric is needed, the size of the
quilt, what borders and settings to use, etc. Following patterns and directions
is a great way to learn, but these are someone else's creative choices. You can
learn to make these types of creative decisions on your own!
For me, quiltmaking is like Christmas morning-always full
of anticipation, surprises and lots of fun! I love surprises - and a quilt that
develops as it grows is sure to be filled with many of them! (Some surprises are
better than others, but they are all exciting and fun!)
Doing something a bit differently means taking risks -
risking some fabric, possibly, or the security of using a "proven" pattern. The
first time you start making a quilt without having any idea of where it's going,
you might be a bit scared-but remember, you don't need all the answers before
you start. As long as you have the desire to begin your quilting adventure,
you'll be prepared wherever it takes you!
Being creative means taking risks but it also means taking
control. A quilt should be your personal statement, reflecting your color choices,
block preferences, border design, etc. As I once heard Christal Carter say, "A
creative person is one who is willing to be a little weird." It doesn't matter
whether you're making traditional or abstract statements, as long as they're
your statements.
One of my friends in high school was an extremely creative
person who expressed her creativity by wearing clothing she had designed herself.
She liked to combine pieces from many different patterns, resulting in a totally
unique look. Everyone admired her ability to make something special. Years later,
I discovered that she had become an attorney and then a judge. As I told her of
my life in quiltmaking, she looked at me wistfully and declared that she had lost
all her creativity. I was stunned! At first, I didn't believe her-after all, how
can creativity just "go away"? Then I realized what she meant. She hadn't really
lost her creativity-she had just allowed it to become dormant through lack of
exercise. She could become creative once more, simply by using her innate creative
abilities.
I have experienced similar feelings about my creative
ability in the kitchen. As a newlywed, I loved to cook and experiment with new foods,
but my husband would never taste anything he could not identify. Eventually, I
developed a "Why bother?" attitude and, as a result, the thought of being creative
in the kitchen now seems overwhelming to me.
Yet, what if I did want to become more creative in the
arts of cooking and dining? I would head for the bookstore and the library to
find books with delectable recipes and pictures of elegantly set tables. I'd ask
friends for their favorite recipes and investigate adult education classes-in short,
I would look for inspiration.
For inspiration in quiltmaking, we can also turn to books
and classes, as well as magazines, shows and guilds. Visual stimulation is vital
nourishment for imagination and creativity. In future articles, I hope to show
you how to use visual stimulation as a catalyst that, along with a few simple
tools, will enable you to branch out on your own as a quiltmaker and begin your
own "new traditions" in quiltmaking!
©1991 From the book "Designing New Traditions in Quilts" By Sharyn Craig
Reprinted with permission from Chitra Publications
Ocean Waves Variation by Sharyn Craig, Photo by Ken Jacques
http://www.quilttownusa.com/Quilt_Gallery/sharyngallery.htm
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